Conclusions and the future of climate research - The Global Climate System: Patterns, Processes, and Teleconnections - page 326

10.3 The importance of communication
There is now overwhelming evidence that human beings and their activities are
creating important influences on climate and its variability. The major argu-
ments are about the scale of the influence, how it affects the patterns and
processes within the climate system, the scale of the either positive or negative
effects on societies, and the level of mitigation necessary (see Glantz essay,
Chapter 1 ). IPCC ( 2001 ) and others recognize the need to incorporate social,
behavioral and economic aspects within the physical models to obtain a holistic
understanding. Progress here has been slow, limited by difficulties in matching
time scales, methodological approaches, and incorporation of human behavior
within a physical system. However, a beginning has been made, through incor-
porating aspects such as land-use changes and air pollution emissions, and
through a better understanding of the beliefs, attitudes, level of education, and
decision-making processes of different cultures (Chapter 8 ).
While the scientific understanding of climate, its variability, and the reasons
for change is improving, communication of the importance of these changes to
political and economic decision makers can be very difficult. The risks related to
climate change, despite their potential global and regional impacts, are often a
very low priority compared to economic development, social tensions, and other
environmental stresses.
Climate scientists need to develop ways of communicating more effectively
on the outside. Kinzig and Starrett ( 2003 ) state that differences in handling
uncertainty and establishing proof are major barriers between science and policy
(see Table 10.3 ). For example, scientists are often unwilling to provide definite
conclusions about climate change because they recognize that limitations and
errors in the methodology will affect their results. Policy makers want more
black and white conclusions, upon which they can make economic and political
decisions. They expect these results to be correct, since often political, and
possibly economic, survival is at stake. If decisions supporting mitigation are
not possible or considered not important, then a better understanding of how
different societies will adapt to climate change is essential.
The communication process is improving, but much more needs to be done.
Organizations such as the IPCC and their reports are a major step in the right
direction. Further enhancement of the cooperation and coordination process
depends on such things as free data exchange (a major goal of ICSU and the
WMO), more globally accurate data sets, and better understanding between
countries. Acceptance that climate change is as important a problem as war-
fare, global poverty, and economic development may never occur. However,
incorporating the consequences of policy decisions on climate and its varia-
bility must be a major goal for the decision-making process in the twenty-first
century.